Paternal age, psychosis, and mortality:the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, Helsinki 1951–1960 Schizophrenia Cohort, and Finnish Nonaffective Psychosis Cohort

• Main Author: Miller, B. (Brian)
• Other Authors: Isohanni, M. (Matti), Kirkpatrick, B. (Brian)
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Oulun yliopisto 2011
• Subjects: birth cohort; isän ikä; longitudinal; mortality; nonaffective psychosis; paternal age; schizophrenia; ei-affektiivinen psykoosi; kuolleisuus; pitkittäistutkimus; skitsofrenia; syntymäkohortti; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789514295898

Abstract There is an extensive literature on advanced paternal age (APA) as a risk factor for a wide variety of adverse health outcomes in the offspring that occur throughout the lifespan. APA is also a well-replicated and relatively robust risk factor for schizophrenia in the offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate advanced paternal age (APA) as a risk factor for schizophrenia and mortality in the offspring in four perspectives and original publications. The Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort (NFBC 1966) consists of 12,068 pregnant women with expected dates of delivery in 1966, and their 12,058 live-born children. The data used here were collected prospectively for 11,058 singleton-birth cohort members who were living in Finland at age one. The Helsinki 1951–1960 Schizophrenia Cohort consists of 529 persons born in Helsinki, Finland, between January 1, 1951 and December 31, 1960, who developed nonaffective psychosis before 1999. The Finnish Nonaffective Psychosis Cohort (Finnish NAP Cohort) consists of all 13,712 persons born in Finland between 1950 and 1969, who developed nonaffective psychosis before 1992. Both APA (≥30) and younger paternal age (<25) increased the risk of schizophrenia; younger paternal age may be associated with an increased risk in males but not females. In the general population, APA was associated with increased all-causes mortality and suicide in females but not males. Within NAP, in females but not males, there was a significant increase in all-causes mortality and natural deaths in offspring of fathers age ≥40. In both the general population and within NAP, APA was associated with having a mother with schizophrenia. An understanding of APA has substantial public health potential, as average paternal ages are increasing, and APA is common, has widespread effects, and is potentially preventable. We have provided important information for future epidemiological and clinical studies of all conditions associated with APA. Accounting for the APA effect as a potential ...